Vetting at certain points not strict enough
I REFER to the report “Over 43,000 denied entry this year” ( The Star, July 26), where the director-general of Immigration (DGI) is quoted saying that “the department conducts strict vetting to ensure not one dubious foreigner comes in.”
I would like to draw the attention of the DGI to the fact that there are thousands of foreigners who enter Malaysia through various entry points on the 30-day social visit pass who do not return to their original countries when their visa expires. Instead, they cross our borders to Thailand through various exit points and make a U-turn with a new social visit pass valid for another 30 days. Some even obtain 90-day visas.
This has been going on for decades but nothing is being done to arrest this serious flouting of our immigration laws.
Who is issuing these visas when the Immigration officers are fully aware that these irresponsible foreigners are just making U-turns and are not legitimate visitors nor tourists to Malaysia?
If indeed they are legitimate tourists, why are they travelling by bus to the border, stay for one or two days in Thailand and then return to Malaysia?
If indeed they are legitimate, have the funds and are not working illegally in Malaysia for short spans of time, they should travel to Singapore or Thailand by air.
These irresponsible foreigners are indeed working in Malaysia and many of them are involved in immoral activities that earn them good money. This is the very reason why they want to continue staying in Malaysia.
Some of these fake tourists have part-time Malaysian boyfriends who are working hand in hand with them.
Many of these irresponsible and non-legitimate tourists are working in our restaurants, bars, karaoke and entertainment centres which are a facade for prostitution and other illegal and immoral activities.
I fervently hope the newly minted Home Affairs Minister, secretary-general of Home Affairs and Immigration director-general will immediately take corrective action and preventive measures to stop this violation of our immigrations laws once and for all.
FRUSTRATED CITIZEN Kuala Krai, Kelantan